The gender identity disorder of “Buzz”; the Honey Nut Cheerio bee

During the latest episode of the widely acclaimed sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”—episode 12, “The Egg Salad Equivalency”—we observe “Rajeesh Koothrappali” complaining that “not one breakfast cereal mascot is a girl” and “it’s a total breakfast sausage fest”. During his rant he also lists pretty much every known breakfast cereal mascot , but then ends this itemization with “… the Honey Nut Cheerio bee, I believe his name is ‘Buzz’.”

Now, as a biologist I feel it is my duty to point out that the organism depicted on the Honey Nut Cheerio cereal box is in fact clearly not a male “drone” bee, but a female bee (albeit highly anthropomorphized—bees do not possess tooth enamel in their mouthparts, for example). I am certain of this because you can clearly see a stinger on Buzz and only female bees possess such a stinger, since it is actually a modified part of the female reproductive system—a so-called ovipositor.

We are thus left with the conclusion that Buzz is in fact the unfortunate sufferer of a gender identity disorder. And that—but for one exception—Raj has a good point. ;)